


Something missing

by LuckyKoneko



Series: Apprentice Week 2020 Prompt Fills [3]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Apprentice Week 2020, Gen, Hollow Bastion | Radiant Garden, I made myself Upsetti while writing this, Mentions of Suicide, Proceed with caution, The Feels are strong with this one, mentions of minor character death, post-Birth by Sleep, prompt fill for apprentice week, why do I hurt my boi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:13:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23845027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuckyKoneko/pseuds/LuckyKoneko
Summary: Prompt fill for Apprentice Week 2020, prompt 3: Quotes. After a tragic event, Ienzo is left heartbroken, and Xehanort tries his best to comfort him.
Series: Apprentice Week 2020 Prompt Fills [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1718113
Kudos: 10
Collections: Apprentice Week 2020





	Something missing

**Author's Note:**

> “No one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away, until the clock wound up winds down, until the wine she made has finished its ferment, until the crop they planted is harvested. The span of someone’s life is only the core of their actual existence.” ― Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man

“Ienzo! Ienzo, come here! Where did he run off to this time…”

“Even.” Xehanort put a hand on the other scientist’s shoulder. “We knew he would not take this well. Give him time.”

“I know, but-“ Even sighed. “You’re right, but… I’m worried.”

“So am I.” Xehanort sighed as well. “You should go back to work. I’ll find Ienzo.” He left before Even could argue, hurrying to the child’s room before realizing that was probably not where Ienzo was. He stopped in the middle of the hallway. Where could the boy be hiding… If Even and Aeleus had been unable to find him, that meant he was somewhere they didn’t know he could get to, and that left a few options. He considered one of Braig’s hiding spots, but dismissed that idea. There were other, more logical hiding places. And one of those was a place none of the others would consider.

He turned back the way he came and headed down the stairs, to the laboratory in the lower basement. So much important work was done here, but Master Ansem had backed out before they had made any significant progress. It didn’t matter. They didn’t need him, they could work without him.

But today, the laboratory was empty. It felt wrong to continue their work so soon after such a tragic event.

Xehanort walked past the laboratory, the cells, the white empty rooms, to the end of the narrow hallway where the secret room was. He wasn’t surprised to find the door open. “Ienzo? Are you here?”

“Go away.”

Xehanort sighed, then smiled and entered the room. Ienzo sat beside the doorway, staring at the patterns on the floor. Xehanort sat next to him.

“Go away” Ienzo muttered again, but it didn’t sound sincere.

Xehanort shook his head. “I don’t think you really want that.”

Ienzo was quiet for a little while. “…No, I don’t want that” he said eventually.

“Do you want to talk?”

“No.” Ienzo sobbed and wiped a few tears away with his sleeve. “But… Can you stay?”

“Of course.”

They sat in silence for a while. Ienzo slowly moved closer to Xehanort and rested his head on Xehanort’s arm, and Xehanort shifted to pull Ienzo into a gentle hug. That turned out to be too much, and Ienzo broke down crying.

“Shh…” Xehanort awkwardly pulled Ienzo a little closer. “Shh, hey…”

“It’s not fair” Ienzo sobbed. “It’s not fair.”

“No, it’s not” Xehanort mumbled. “He shouldn’t have left us… He shouldn’t have left you.”

That didn’t have the effect Xehanort had hoped for. Ienzo angrily pulled away from him and pushed him back. “Don’t lie!”

“What?”

“You’re lying, too. Just like dad, and Braig, and Dilan, and Aeleus. They’re all lying to me.”

“What makes you think that?”

“I know you’re lying. Master Ansem didn’t leave. He’s dead, just like mama and papa, and you don’t want to tell me.”

“Ienzo…”

“And I know why you won’t tell me” the boy continued. “I know why you’re saying he left. It’s because he killed himself.”

“Ienzo, stop and listen to me.” Xehanort wanted to apologize, but couldn’t find the words. “I… You’re wrong, Ienzo. Master Ansem is still alive. He… I don’t know why he left, or where he went, but I talked to him before he left and he said… He said he needed some time away from here. He said he would come back.”

Ienzo visibly hesitated. “…Is that true?”

“I promise it is true.” Light, what was he saying… He couldn’t tell the truth, the truth would be even worse than what Ienzo thought, and he didn’t want to hurt the boy even more than he already had. “He’s not gone forever. He will come back.” That part was true, at least.

“He’s not dead?”

“No, he’s not.” Xehanort sighed in relief as Ienzo cuddled up to him again. “And even if he was dead, he wouldn’t really be gone.”

“What do you mean?” Ienzo asked.

Xehanort looked at the armour resting on the floor on the other side of the room. His friend, who still lived in his memories. “No one is finally dead until the ripples they have caused in the world die away. During their lives, they leave marks on history, on people’s hearts, on the world around them. When someone dies, there are always people who remember them, and as long as they are remembered, they still exist within people’s memories. And when everyone who knew them has died, too, they may still exist for a long time. A person is only truly dead when their name is forgotten and the last work they started has been finished and the last mark they made on history has been erased.”

“Oh.” Ienzo snuggled closer to Xehanort. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For telling me this. I… I don’t like it when people keep secrets from me. Especially if it’s important to me, too.”

“I understand that” Xehanort said with a sad smile. “I don’t like it when people keep secrets from me, either.”

He made a mental promise to never lie to Ienzo again, if it wasn’t absolutely necessary.

It was a promise he wouldn’t be able to keep.


End file.
